Ornamented utility package



J1me 1964 c. F. KAPLAN ORNAMENTED UTILITY PACKAGE Filed Feb. 9. 1961 IF |G.3

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INVENTOR. CLIFFORD F. KAPLAN ATTORNEY.

United States Patent I 3,136,420 onNAMENrnn:UfnmrYrAoKAon -.Ciifior d F. Kaplan,iLeominsten-Mass, assignor tojFoster Grant .00., Inc, -Leominster, .Mass., a corporation of Delaware .Fiied Feb. 9,1961, ,Ser..No. 88,169 4 Ciairns. (CL206-8tl) This invention relates generally to novel and advantageous decorated or ornamented devices. More specifi- 'cally, this invention relates to ornamented objects wherein the ornamentation is supported'by'or contained within a plastic backing which acts as a display shipping and utility breakage in-transit, eye appeal to the consumer, overall size, etc. On'the other hand, decorations for objects are commonly designed without serious regard to packaging problems.

Christmas tree decorated spheres are good examples of gthc prior arts plural step approach to these problems. -For example, the spheres are often packaged in printed cardboard'units which are designed primarily to protect the spheres against damage "in shipment and to provide an eye appealing unit-to the-consumer. Prior repackaging the spheres, they are decorated by conventional printing and/ or laminating methods. This plural-step approach is time consuming, costly, and inefficient. The art has, to my knowledge, ignored'any approach that utilizes a single step packagingand decorating method.

I have-now found a particularly eifective combined packaging ,and ornamentation utility device for decorativeobjects. Basically, I employ a thin ornamented or decorated plastic film which covers objects mounted on a base support. The plastic film acts as a package form- .ing component and is so designed that the portion of the film covering the object adheres to the object and is removable therewith from'the base support'and'surprisingly, will'act as a decorationfor the object. The plastic film further acts as a protective, abrasion resistant and shatterproof layer for the object. The use of the plastic film of my invention enables rapid, inexpensive packaging and decoration of ornamental objects.

The utility device of my invention can be produced by well known film processing techniques. For example, a plastic .film can be skin packaged by vacuum over a base iboard carrying the objects or cores to be decorated and packaged. Holes are formed in a base board and an extension portion of the objects are positioned therein.

A plastic film is then vacuum formedwith or without the .use of heat so as to conform to at least a portion of the objector core and bond to thebase member supporting said object.

The objects or cores to be decorated and packaged according to my invention may have various shapes. Preferably these objects comprise a decreased diameter portion and an extension portion at one part thereof as will be more fully described later. The objects may be composed of metal, glass, plastic, foamed plastic, etc. It should be understood that the objects decorated and packaged according to the teachings of my invention may be solely employed for decorative purposes or may in addition have specific functions such as ,doorknobs, handles,

etc.

The thin plastic'film employed in my invention can be composed ofany of the thermoplastic resins well known in theskin packaging art, e. g., cellulose acetate, cellulose butyrate, vinyls, laminates of cellulose-acetate or cellulosebutyrate on polyethylene,polyethylene, polypropylene, synthetic linear polyamides or nylon polymers, etc.

Conventional dyes and/ or pigments may be employed to color these plasticfilm materials in applications where color, is desired. The plastic'film can'be ornamented by conventional printing methods (e.g., flexographic, rotogravure, etc.) prior to vacuum drawingthe film over the objects. If desired, the film may be ornamented or decorated after it has been vacuum drawn over the objects.

I have found that nylon polymers are particularly suited for usage in the device of my invention. These polymers can be readily processed'to conform to conventional ornamented object configuration by well known skin packaging techniques. The particular advantages of nylon polymers will be more fully disclosed in connection with the description of the drawings.

The base or support member of my invention is preferably composed of a flexible cardboard material such as kraft cardboard although plastics, metals, laminates and composite bases may be employed. It is only necessary that the base member provide the required degree or" flexibility or rigidity for the particular utility package produced and that itbond well with the plastic film material -under the manufacturing conditions employed. In some'cases it may be desirable to provide a plastic coated and/ or perforated base to insure proper bonding of the basewith-the plastic film material employed.

For the purpose of facilitating an understanding of my invention, 1 have illustrated inthe accompanying drawings preferred embodiments thereof, from an inspection of which, when considered in connection with the following description, my'invention, its mode of construction, assembly and many of its advantages should be readily understood and appreciated. 1

Referring to the drawings in which the same characters of reference are employed to indicate corresponding or similar parts throughout the several figures of the drawmgs:

FIGURE 1 illustrates a top plan view of one embodiment of my invention.

FIGURE 2 illustrates a cross-sectional view taken along line 2*2 of "FIGURE 1.

'E-IGU'RE'3 is a fragmentary top plan viewofian alternateembodiment of my invention,

FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary cross-sectional view taken along line 4-4 .of FIGURE '3.

"FIGURE 5 shows a plastic film covered ornamental device of this invention after separation from the 'base member.

FIGURE 6 shows a bottom plan view of the base or support member of another-embodiment of my invention.

In thedrawings FIGURES l and 2 illustrate an ornamented object utility device of-this-invention. A substantially planar uncoated cardboard base is shown at 13. The base is preferably composed of an uncoated cardboard material 'having holes 15 therein. The base may be adapted to carry one or more of the objects of this invention. As clearly seen in FIGURE 2, it is necessary that a mounting extensionportion or projection 14 be provided on the object or core to be decorated and packaged. The projection may be an integral part of the object as shown or may be an attached portion such as a staple, pin, rod, cube, dowel, etc. In use the projection serves as an attachment to hang or anchor the decoration. Holes 15 are preferably equal to or slightly smaller in diameter than the diameter of the projection 14 of object 10. The snug fit of projection 14 in hole 15 aids in retaining the sphere or object in position on the card with the main axis 18 substantially perpendicular to the plane of the base. It should be understood that non-planar bases and/or enlarged holes may be employed in my invention if desired. Of course, if a thick board is employed the stem may be retained entirely within the base rather than extending therethrough as illustrated.

The decorated object is illustrated in the form of a sphere 10, although various shapes may be employed. It is only necessary that a reduced diameter or cut back portion be employed so that when the decorated object is removed from the base the skin or plastic film carried thereon encases and adheres to the object since it cannot slide off the object. The sphere is preferably a foam plastic material such as polystyrene foam.

A decorated nylon film 12 is formed over the spherical portion 11 and the base 13. It should be noted that the nylon material is capable of being deep drawn in close conformance to the configuration of the object. The plastic film may cover substantially the entire spherical portion 11 or it may extend down and in addition cover a portion of the projection 14 if the hole 15 is enlarged or if it is not entirely recessed into base 13. The portion 19 of the film is the thinnest section of the film since the film is stretched to its greatest extent at this point during conventional skin packaging by vacuum techniques. The main advantage of nylon film is that it can be deep drawn by vacuum and it will adhere readily to the uncoated cardboard base. When packaging objects having a substantial height to width ratio or a deep draw, nylon is particularly suitable. The nylon film 12 bonds to the uncoated cardboard base 13 at the surface thereof. The film acts to retain the position of the object with respect to the board. As a result of the thinning of the film and the reduced diameter or configuration at point 19, the object can be readily removed from the base by hand. Preferably a twisting motion is employed as shown at 21, to break the film and the object is raised from the board with the plastic film adhering to the spherical portion thereof as shown in FIGURE 5. If desired, the film can be perforated, slit or stamped at diameter or configuration 19 in order to facilitate easy separation of the plastic film. In this manner the plastic film is both a packaging and decorative component.

FIGURES 3 and 4 illustrate alternate embodiments of my invention wherein the plastic film 12 does not conform closely to the entire surface of the object. Any number of similar or dissimilar objects may be employed in the embodiments of my invention, although only one object is shown in these figures. The space 16 Varies in size depending on the particular plastic employed and the degree of heat and vacuum utilized in the skin packaging operation. Slits, perforations, indentations, etc. 20 are employed to facilitate removal of the sphere. The slits, perforations, indentations, etc. may be formed in the film allowing removal of the object and film from the base. Alternatively the slits, perforations, etc. can be formed in the base as well as in the film thus enabling removal of a portion of the base, as shown in FIGURE 6, with the film and the object. The latter expedient can be employed where a portion of the base is desired as a part of the ornamentation.

The plastic film employed is preferably decorated or ornamented on either or both sides thereof previous to skin packaging with irregular or abstract designs, colors, etc. Abstract or irregular designs are better suited for usage in my invention than regular patterns since some deformation of the plastic film occurs during the skin packaging procedure. Dimensionally regular or conventional designs may be employed by conventional methods of compensating for the film deformation during skin packaging. It should be noted that colored or lettered film may be employed as a part or the entire decoration or ornamentation. In some cases additional ornamentation or deco- .ration may be employed on the object or core under the plastic film.

The plastic film employed is preferably a substantially uniform film having a thickness previous to skin packaging of 0.0005 to 0.010 inch with 0.001 to 0.003 inch being preferred. Thicknesses within these ranges provide commercially efficient, easily separable, utility packages of this invention.

Many changes and alterations may be made without departing from the spirit and scope of this invention which is set forth in the appended claims which are to be construed as broadly as possible in view of the prior art.

I claim:

1. A vacuum formed ornamented, display and packaging device consisting essentially of at least one object having a substantially decreased thickness portion and a projection extending outwardly of said decreased thickness portion, said projection being mounted in a corresponding aperture in a substantially planar base member, an ornamented nylon thermoplastic film having a thickness of 0.0005 to 0.010 inch covering and closely conforming to the configuration of said object and bonded to at least a portion of said base member, means provided on a portion of said film covering closely conforming to the decreased thickness portion of said object for allow ing easy removal of said object from said base member by separation of said film member whereby said object may be removed from said base member along with a portion of said ornamented film which adheres to said object.

2. The vacuum formed, ornamented, display and packaging device of claim 1 wherein said means is a means provided in said film and said base member for allowing easy removal of said object, a portion of said film and a portion of said base member.

3. The device of claim 2 wherein said means for allowing easy removal of said object, a portion of said film and a portion of said base member comprises perforations.

4. The device of claim 1 wherein said object comprises a polystyrene foam material.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. A VACUUM FORMED ORNAMENTED, DISPLAY AND PACKAGING DEVICE CONSISTING ESSENTIALLY OF AT LEAST ONE OBJECT HAVING A SUBSTANTIALLY DECREASED THICKNESS PORTION AND A PROJECTION EXTENDING OUTWARDLY OF SAID DECREASED THICKNESS PORTION, SAID PROJECTION BEING OUNTED IN A CORRESPONDING APERTURE IN A SUBSTANTIALLY PLANAR BASE MEMBER, AN ORNAMENTED NYLON THERMOPLASTIC FILM HAVING A THICKNESS OF 0.0005 TO 0.010 INCH COVERING AND CLOSELY CONFORMING TO THE CONFIGURATON OF SAID OBJECT AND BONDED TO AT LEAST A PORTION OF SAID BASE MEMBER, MEANS PORVIDED ON A PORTION OF SAID FILM COVERING CLOSELY CONFORMING TO THE DECREASED THICKNESS PORTION OF SAID OBJECT FOR ALLOWING EASH REMOVAL OF SAID OBJECT FROM SAID BASE MEMBER BY SEPARATION OF SAID FILM MEMBER WHERBY SAID OBJECT MAY BE REMOVED FROM SAID BASE MEMBER ALONG WITH A PORTION OF SAID ORNAMENTED FILM WHICH ADHERES TO SAID OBJECT. 